System for recording and presenting audio information to occupants of a vehicle

ABSTRACT

There is disclosed a system for recording and presenting information in an audio format to operators and passengers of vehicles. In the recording and presentation, the information is correlated to the distance traveled by a sensing device coupled to sense operation of the vehicle odometer.

United States Patent Barbier [451 Jan. 16, 1973 [s41 SYSTEM FORRECORDING AND [56] References Cited PRESENTING AUDIO INFORMATION TOOCCUPANTS OF A VEHICLE UN'TED STATES PATENTS PM Emile Barbi", 17 de3'32??? if i122?:::::::::::'"""""tiiiii:l3311383 Demise saim'Maurice'2,965,720 12/1960 Bumstead 179/1002 s France 22 i April 15 1971 PrimaryExaminer-Stanley M. Urynowicz, Jr. Assistant ExaminerRaymond F.Cardillo, Jr. PP N05 134,291 Attorney-Beveridge & DeGrandi [30] ForeignApplication Priority Data [57] ABSTRACT May 6, 1970 France ..70l6649 T idisciosefl a a. recmding and prgsem' June 25, 1970 France ..7023652 mgoperatms and passengers of vehlcles. In the recordmg and presenta- 521vs. 01. ..179/100.1 c, 179/1002 s gz' g g wfggfg i 21233; a ggz s'zggi[5 1] Int. CI....G1 lb 15/52, G1 lb 23/36, G1 lb 27/14 tion of thevehice odometer [58] Field of Search ..l79/l00.l C, 100.2 S, l VE' I 6Claims, 3 Drawing Figures E 5 1 Fl Fl 6 z puho counler Detector 53PAIENTEUJAH 16 1913 SHEET 1 BF 3 mm z 2: N

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SYSTEM FOR RECORDING AND PRESENTING AUDIO INFORMATION TO OCCUPANTS OF AVEHICLE The invention relates to a device intended to be mounted on avehicle thereby furnishing furnishing, in acoustic format, informationcorrelated to the distance traveled by the vehicle.

Such systems are already known which use, a reduction drive and agenerally complex tape recorder, either using use of several tracks, orusing control frequencies beyond the audible range, both of whichcomplicate the amplifier and the tape advance mechanism.

The object of the invention is to provide an extremely simple apparatus,using a conventional, widely used and relatively inexpensive taperecorder.

The invention includes intermittent recordings on an ordinary taperecorder. Each time that the vehicle has covered a given distance thetape recorder is started up, there is recorded a specific period ofspoken words followed by a marking period of much shorter duration,wherein the voice frequencies are replaced by a welldefmed audiblemarking note.

ln parallel with parallel with a sound reproducing loud speaker is anintegrator amplifier which triggers the halt of the recorder only whenthe resultant marking signal stops. The acoustic signal is only appliedto, this amplifier integrator during the second half of the markingperiod, thus allowing considerable tolerance as to recording speed andsound reproduction, as well as the frequencies and times developedwithin the apparatus. Detection of the distance travelled is obtainedfrom a sensor coupled to or driven directly by the vehicle drive, whichsends pulses to a counter that sends on a resulting signal thatcorresponds to the desired distance. The duration of the various periodsis also determined by an oscillator, which establishes the time base, inassociation with a second pulse counter having three outputscorresponding to the start, middle and end of the marking period.

ln order to make the subject of the invention better understood, therewill now be described as illustration, without any limiting characterwhatsoever, an embodiment as exemplified and illustrated in the attacheddrawing, in which:

H6. 1 shows the general electric diagram of the apparatus in recordingposition.

FIG. 2 shows the same diagram, in the reading position.

FIG. 3 is the schematic characteristic of the curves that arerepresentative of the various signals generated by the apparatus.

The apparatus of the invention (see FIGS. 1 and 2) comprises; firstly,an ordinary a tape recorder l, with a single reading head and withoutany special adjusting 'device which could be, for example, a cassettetype recorder, allowing ready changing of the tape. Secondly, itincludes a sensor 2 connected directly to the odometer. It is knownthat, according to automobile standards presently in effect, theodometer makes exactly one rotation for each meter that the vehicletravels. The sensors can be of any type, whether with mechanicalcontact, or by means of an electronic, capacitive, magnetic or opticaldevice; and it may include an amplifier, antiparasitic device and/or adevice for the reshaping of pulses. While in the following descriptionthe metric system of distance is used, it will be apparent that miles orother units of measurement may be used as well.

Thirdly, the device includes, between sensor 2 and tape recorder 1, alogic circuit which effects all the connections that are necessary forthe various functions. The pulses produced by sensor 2 for each metertravelled arrive via line 3 at a pulse counter 4; constituted, forexample, by three integrated circuits in series, each performingdivision by ten, so that the whole effects division by one thousand.Thus, counter sends conductor 5 a pulse each time that it has receivedone thousand pulses via line 3; that is, each time that the vehicle hasmoved forward one kilometer.

The said conductor 5 carries the kilometer pulses to the input of thefirst flipflop6 which switches to the 1 state on the arrival of a newpulse. In this state, flipflop 6 polarizes or energizes a line 7 thatfeeds the winding 8 ofa relay 9 whose contact 10 closes the startingcircuit for tape recorder 1 (such contact may, for example, be theremote switch on the recorder l). A line 11, branched on 7, alsopolarizes off energizes an input of the first AND gate 12 which receivesat the same time, via another input 13, square pulses produced by anoscillator 14 whose period of 20 milliseconds. Output 15 of AND gate 12drives a second pulse counter 16, analogous to pulse counter 4, buthaving instead three outputs l7, l8 and 19 corresponding respectively to800, 900 and 1000 pulses counted. The two counters 4 and 16automatically start at zero each time that they have reached the figure1000. ln addition, a button or switch 20 makes it possible via lines 21and 22 to manually set the two counters 4 and 16 to zero.

The circuit comprises on the other hand a switch with six switchingstages 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 and 28 all of which are flipped or switched tothe right when the apparatus is in the recording position (HO. 1) andall gang switched to the left when the apparatus is in the readingposition (FIG. 2). Of course, these switching stages can largely bereplaced by electronic devices without changing the diagram.

The circuit includes a second flip-flop 29 whose triggering iscontrolled by 24 and the zero reset by 25. This flipflop, in its 1state, polarizes a line 30 that feeds directly, via 27, the winding 31ofa relay 32 whose contact in the non operating position connects line33 (tape recording) to microphone 34, and in the operating position,this same line 33 to a second oscillator 35 with frequency of 2kc/second. Line 30 supplies, on the other hand, an inverter amplifier 36and the output 37 of this amplifier is Connected to a second AND gate 38whose input 39 is connected by 26 and 40 to line 7 of the firstflip-flop 6. Finally, output 41 of AND gate 38 is connected by conductor28 to indicator or signal device 42.

lnitially, the two flipflops 6 and 29 are in the 0 state, and the twocounters 4 and 16 are set at zero. Counter 4 counts the pulses receivedfrom sensor 2 and it is only when this number reaches 1000 that a pulsetravels via 5 to flipflop 6 and puts it into state 1 which produces onthe one hand, via conductor 11 and gate 12, the startup of counter 16and on the other hand via line 7 the excitation of relay 9, startingtape recorder l and via conduetor 40, switch 26, conductor 39 and gate38 as well by conductor 41 and switch 28, the ignition of signalindicator 42, indicating that the apparatus is ready to record. Flipflop29 is at zero and, therefore, line 30 is in state and line 37 is instate 1. At the same time, it is to be seen that relay 32 is inoperativeand that recording line 33 is connected to microphone 34.

The user then can speak into the microphone 34 and record what he wantsduring the whole time that is required by counter 16 to count 800 pulsesof oscillator 14, Le, 16 seconds since the period of this oscillator is20 milliseconds as shown above. At the end of the 16 seconds, line 17 ispolarized or energized and via switch 24 establishes state 1 of flipflop29, which has the effect of inverting the state of the signed on lines30 and 37 and, consequently extinguishing signal 42 as well as theexcitation of relay 32. The user is thus warned that he should stop hisrecording and the contact of relay 32 switches the recording line 33 onoscillator 35 which records, instead of sound, the 2 kc/sec markingfrequency.

When counter 16, which still continues to count off pulses of oscillator14, reaches the number 1000 (which occurs 4 seconds later), it sends at19 a pulse that causes, via switch 25, the setting to zero of flipflop29 and, via switch 23, the resetting to zero of flipflop 6. As a result,on the one hand, relay 9 returns to the inoperative or deenergized stateand stops the tape recorder l and, on the other hand, line 30 returns tostate 0 and line 37 to state 1. However, signal 42 remains extinguished,given that an input on line 39 of AND gate 38 assumes the 0 state. Theapparatus is thus back in its original position, ready to function againwhen it receives a newkilometer pulse via line from counter 4.

In FIG. 3, the representative curves of various signals within theapparatus have been drawn as a function of time (and not as a functionof kilometers) of various signals moving in the apparatus. Curve 43 inparticular shows the kilometer pulses 44. Their spacing as a function oftime depends of course upon the average speed of the vehicle in thecourse of each kilometer. In what follows, it will be assumed that theaverage speed of the vehicle in the course of each kilometer is alwaysbelow 180 km/hour, so that the kilometer pulses 44 occur with more thanseconds interval (eg 30 seconds for 120 km/hour and 60 seconds for 60km/hour). In these conditions, no kilometer pulse can occur before theend of the complete preceding cycle which takes 20 seconds, hence 16seconds maximum for recording 45 of the voice message and 4 seconds forrecording 46 of the marking frequency as shown on curve 47. With acassette capable of approximately 30 minutes recording approximately,there can consequently be recorded 90 successive sequences representinga path of 90 km. With a reversible cassette, there can be double thisrecording. Obviously, cassettes having longer or shorter tapes,corresponding to longer or shorter time may be used; and, also, fasteror slower tape drive may be used.

Assume now that the same trip is traveled again after having replacedthe magnetic tape of recorder 1 in its starting position and placing thevarious switching units 23 to 28 of the switch in the reading position,i.e., switched to the left as shown in FIG. 2. As before, each time thatthe vehicle has traveled l kilometer, counter 4 developes a kilometerpulse that places flipflop 6 in state 1 and thus, via relay 9; puts therecorder into operation. At the same time, line 11 opens gate 12 andallows counter 16 to count the pulses of oscillator 14in order todetermine the time of reproduction. A line 48, branched with line 5,also sends, via 24 the kilometer pulse to the second flipflop 29 toplace it in state 1, which has the effect of placing line 30 in state 1,hence line 37 in state 0.

At the same time, the signal furnished by the reading of the magnetictape passes via a line 49 branched on the loudspeaker of recorder 1 andthen, after having been amplified byan amplifier 50, passes via line 51and contact 26 before reaching the second input 39 of AND gate 38 whichis closed because line 37 is in 0 state, as we have seen. Therefore,there is no signal issuing from output line 41.

It is only at the end of 18 seconds of operation, i.e., when counter 16has reached 900 pulses that the line 18 is energized and supplies, via25, the reset to zero of the second flipflop 29, which has the effect ofplacing line 30 in state 0 and line 37 in state 1. Gate 38 then allowsthe signal furnished by the recorder to pass to line 41, represented bycurve 47 of FIG. 3. Since there are exactly 18 seconds between 16 and20, the opening of gate 38 occurs in principle precisely in the middleof marking signal 46, so that this is only read during the last twoseconds.

The signal that is obtained is sent via switch 28 and via a line 52 to adetector 53 formed by an integrator amplifier which thus integrates thesignal represented by curve 54 and which is simply a rectangular wave 55whose leading edge 56 corresponds to the opening of gate 38, i.e., tothe counting of 900 seconds by counter 16, and whose trailing edge 57corresponds to the end of marking signal 46. Detector 53 only detectsthe trailing edge 57 and sends at this moment, via line 58 and switchunit 23, a pulse that sets the first flipflop 6 at zero, thus stoppingthe recorder exactly on the end of the marking signal 46, hence justbefore the beginning of the acoustic signal of the next sequence so thatthe tape recorder is ready to start on this sequence with the nextkilometer signal. I

It is readily understood that, according to fortuitous variations ofspeed of the recorder 1 both in recording and in reproduction, and alsobecause of variations of the period of the oscillator 14, again both inrecording and in reproduction, it can happen that the leading edge 56will not be exactly at the middle of marking period 46, but it issufficient that this front be inside this period for correct operation,which thus allows a total tolerance of 2 seconds more or less, which isample for practical requirements.

Thus, because of this arrangement, with an oscillator 14 of any degreeof precision and an ordinary tape recorder 1 without great precision asto speed, it is possible to have each acoustic sequence start exactly onthe kilometer that corresponds to it, from one end to the other withoutany buildup of error. It is also understood that detector 53, though itis controlled by an audiofrequency band, cannot be affected by theacoustic signal because this signal does not reach it.

Of course, the precision of the timing of recordings depends upon theprecision of the mechanism connecting the vehicle wheels to sensor 2.This may have a slight or even fairly substantial drift in the case inwhich the path of the vehicle undergoes a deviation with reference tothe route originally intended. To correct these errors, there are twoswitches, one of which, 59, normally closed, is disposed in series online 3 through which pulses arrive at counter 4 and the other, 60,normally open, allows the sending of kilometer pulses through line 5 asa supplement. In this way, if the tape recorder program is progressingahead of the position of the vehicle, switch 59 can be opened to allowthe vehicle to move along to recover its lag without actuating thedevice. In the opposite way, if the tape program is behind the movementof the car, extra kilometer pulses can be sent via 60 until the lag iscaught up.

The device of the invention, which is relatively simple in manufactureand not bulky, allows various applications. Especially, the user canrecord on his magnetic tapes concerning a certain route and read thenwhen he goes over the same route again, which can be extremely useful,especially for leaders of a rally. The user can also receive magnetictapes already prepared for a specific itinerary that he may not befamiliar with and never have traveled, which allows him to be guidedwithout any disturbance and with all the necessary information, not onlyinformation concerning driving and landmarks along the way but also allkinds of tourist, historic, artistic, gastronomic, hotel information, oreven advertising matter.

It is understood that the means of embodiment described above has nolimiting character whatsoever and that there may be any desiredmodifications without exceeding the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for recording audio information on a recorder means locatedin a vehicle and for playing back said audio information on a playbackmeans in said vehicle comprising, means for producing a pulse each timesaid vehicle has traveled a selected distance during the recording ofsaid audio information, means responsive to said pulses for recordingsaid audio information over a pre-determined duration of time, meansresponsive to the termination of said predetermined duration of time forrecording at least a selected audio frequency marking signal for asecond predetermined duration of time, means responsive to thetermination of said second duration of time for stopping said recording,means responsive to said pulses for playing back said recorded audioinformation on said playback means, and means for producing a signalbeginning at a time after each of said pulses which is equal to saidpredetermined duration plus one-half of said second predeterminedduration and which ends at a time after said each of said pulses equalto said predetermined duration plus said second predetermined durationfor stopping the operation of said playback means.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, further including detector meansresponsive to the ending of said signal for stopping the operation ofsaid play back means.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said predetermined durationis 16 seconds and said second predetermined duration is 4 seconds.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said vehicle includes anodometer and said means for producing a pulse includes a sensing meansconnected to said odometer. l

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said means responsive to saidpulses and said means responsive to the termination of saidpredetermined duration include countermeans.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said recording means and saidplayback means are located in the same unit.

1. Apparatus for recording audio information on a recorder means locatedin a vehicle and for playing back said audio information on a playbackmeans in said vehicle comprising, means for producing a pulse each timesaid vehicle has traveled a selected distance during the recording ofsaid audio information, means responsive to said pulses for recordingsaid audio information over a pre-determined duration of time, meansresponsive to the termination of said predetermined duration of time forrecording at least a selected audio frequency marking signal for asecond predetermined duration of time, means responsive to thetermination of said second duration of time for stopping said recording,means responsive to said pulses for playing back said recorded audioinformation on said playback means, and means for producing a signalbeginning at a time after each of said pulses which is equal to saidpredetermined duration plus one-half of said second predeterminedduration and which ends at a time after said each of said pulses equalto said predetermined duration plus said second predetermined durationfor stopping the operation of said playback means.
 2. Apparatusaccording to claim 1, further including detector means responsive to theending of said signal for stopping the operation of said play backmeans.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said predeterminedduration is 16 seconds and said second predetermined duration is 4seconds.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said vehicleincludes an odometer and said means for producing a pulse includes asensing means connected to said odometer.
 5. Apparatus according toclaim 4, wherein said means responsive to said pulses and said meansresponsive to the termination of said predetermined duration includecountermeans.
 6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said recordingmeans and said playback means are located in the same unit.